March gardening

From Gardening Wiki

Contents 1 The March Garden Calendar for Northern Gardeners 2 The March Garden Calendar for Southern Gardeners 3 Rose Garden Care in March 4 Shrub Care in March

The March Garden Calendar for Northern Gardeners

The 4 most interesting photos from Flickr for the tag 'march garden'

Pruning may be done on Catalpas, Hibiscus, Vines. By the end of the month protective material may be taken away from most of the shrubs. Lawns should be swept, rolled, re-seeded and top dressed. Pansies, Daisies, dwarf Phlox may be planted at the end of the month. About the 17th make a hotbed. Sow seeds of annuals and perennials, especially Asters, Begonias, Cobaa scandens, Coleus, Gypsophila, Nicotiana, Petunia, Phlox, Ricinus, Salvia, Verbena, Zinnia, in the greenhouse or in frames. Sow in the greenhouse or hotbed, Peppers, Egg-plant, Tomato, Cucumber and Melon.

The March Garden Calendar for Southern Gardeners

In the upper South the Early Irish Potatoes can still be planted, and the latest Peas like the Champion of England. Later than this they will be caught by the hot weather. Transplant the Onion plants as soon as they are the size of a lead pencil, nipping roots and tops slightly and setting in rows shallowly 15 in. Apart and 3 or 4 in. In the rows. Transplant the early Tomato plants into cold frames for hardening them off for setting in the open ground in April. Set the plants 4 in. Apart each way, and slip the sashes down in all sunny weather to get them inured to the air, and finally get them so hardened that the stems will have a purplish hue instead of a delicate green.

The latter part of the month make the first sowing of Snap or String Beans. The Black Valentine is the most hardy for this early crop. Slight ridges running east and west should be made and the seed planted on the South side to shelter them from cold winds. If frost threatens take the hand garden plow and throw a furrow over the plants till the cold passes. Early Beets can be sown early in the month Prepare beds, preferably under glass sashes, for bedding the Sweet Potatoes for the production of plants. A very light hotbed will answer or they can be bedded under the sashes and the sashes kept closed till sprouting shows and then give plenty of air in sunny weather. The sashes can be removed from the January-sown Beets and used for the Tomatoes and Sweet Potatoes. The Beets are then thinned and the thinnings transplanted. Sow early Turnip Radishes early in the month or late February. Sow Egg Plant seed in hotbed. Make first planting of garden Corn. The Norfolk Market Corn is better than sugar Corn for the early planting. Plant Sugar Corn last of the month. Sow Red Valentine Beans. Sow Early Horn Carrots. Plant Horseradish root.

Rose Garden Care in March

March is the best time for pruning all of the roses but the teas (do this later in the North), which can go until April. If large blooms are wanted, cut the canes of hybrid perpetuals back to within six or eight inches of the grounds. Only a few "eyes" are required and it is best to let the top one on each cane be an outside one in order that the growth may be outward and give a spread to the bush. Cut off at the base all weak and dead canes; also any that come from below the graft. Bushes of such old roses as Madame Plantier, Damask and Harison's Yellow need have only the dead wood cut out unless the branches crowd each other too closely. For the climbers the same, but weak side shoots, dead cane ends and all wood that has lost its usefulness for blooming ought to be removed. Have the wheelbarrow at hand to receive all cuttings and dump them at once on the bonfire heap. When pruning roses always wear gloves.

Shrub Care in March

There will also be some pruning of shrubs and vines to do in March. The shrub rule is to prune in spring only those that bloom late in the season Hydrangea paniculata, for example. Live wood taken from the spring blooming shrubs, such as forsythia, weigela and deutzia, only robs the season of a part of its flowers.

Vines that make an exceedingly vigorous growth each year, like Clematis paniculata, are usually pruned very severely. Crocuses, Scilla sibirica, glory of the snow and the common coltsfoot need a little watching in March, that their bloom may not flash in the pan because of too much covering.

Burn up in March all rubbish, including any Takings, that may have been gathered; if it is dry, it is quickly disposed of and is that much out of the way. The village fire rule of making a bon fire not less than thirty feet from a building is a good one. If the wind is toward a building even twice that distance away, or is blowing very strong in any direction, wait for a more favorable day. A dry pile of rubbish may be started by thrust ing a crumpled sheet or two of newspaper under the bottom on the windward side and touching a match to it. When there are green twigs to be burned, it is better to make a more careful job of it. Put some paper and dry grass on the ground and then the dry twigs and wood on top.

Add only a portion of the green stuff, or there will be too much smoke, and feed the remainder when the fire is burning briskly. Throw on whatever rubbish the house and barn hold. And never let the fire go long unwatched; not at all if children are about. Look over the garden tools; sharpen the old ones and order the new ones, that April may find nothing unready. In odd moments cut stakes of various kinds and make or repair trellises.